For most of us, the Christmas season ended a couple of weeks ago. Decorations are packed away, and some of the kids' toys are already broken. We're into a new year, and trying to reconstruct a daily routine. But liturgically, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season and the transition to "Ordinary Time."

Matthew's simple account of the baptism today ends with the heavenly voice introducing "my beloved Son." Recalling his coming, which we've celebrated in the Christmas season, we're invited to welcome the Beloved One into our midst once more. As a community, we will pledge ourselves, through each Sunday celebration, which follows, to listen and respond to Christ's proclamation of the Good News. You've probably heard people express
the wish that the spirit of Christmas would last all through the year. Christians really are called to take that
responsibility seriously. The meaning of Christmas is the central fact of our lives; we must reflect the fact that God
has come to dwell with us in Jesus Christ. It can show on our faces, in our words and in what we do. If you
haven't made a New Year's resolution, here's a simple one: let all that we say and do manifest that basic truth that
God is with us.